Sign with animated effect



C. T. BERG SIGN WITH ANIMATED EFFECT Filed April 10, 1941 "w L\\\\L Aug. 15, 1944.

Patented Aug. 15, 1944 SIGN WITH ANIMATED EFFECT Carlton `T. Berg, Minneapolis, Minn., assigner to The PhotoplatingV Company, Minneapolis,

Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application April 10, 1941, Serial No. 387,806

2 Claims.

This invention relates to animated displays and particularly to a display device and method of obtaining animated effects by the combination of ltwo or more designs composed of a multiplicity of elements so related that a slight change in the line of vision of an observer or a slight relative movement between the design-carrying members or a source of light disposed therebehind produces a marked animated effect on the resulting design produced.

More specically, it is an object to provide a display or advertising device comprising two plates or sheets composed of transparent material each having on one face thereof Ya design preferably produced by photographic process of the well known half-tone type, said design-carrying sheets being disposed one in front of the other with the respective half-tone or other design elements being substantially aligned or very slightly disaligned and spaced apart by the thickness of the sheets or by other spacing means to produce varying animated effects as previously described.

A further object is the provision of a simple and novel method for obtaining animated effects from superimposed designs having alternate, relatively transparent and translucent minute portions or elements.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the various views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a small sign embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view mostly in horizontal section of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on a larger scale of the two design-carrying plates spaced apart in operative position;

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views on a greatly enlarged scale of corner fragments of the two plates showing half-tone designs photographically formed thereon, and

Fig. 6 is a view partly in top elevation and partly in section showing a somewhat different form of the invention.

In the form of my display device shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I provide a pair of similar transparent plates I and 8 which may be conveniently constructed of glass of sufficient thickness to have refractory qualities. On one face of each of the plates 1 and 8 I produce preferably, though not necessarily, by photographic process a half-tone design which, as shown, is made up of half-tone dots or spots of similar size dened by very translucent background elements. As shown, the central portions of each of the prepared faces of the plates l and 8 is not covered with the design elements. This produces a more concentrated illumination at the central portion of the sign where the greater portion of the advertising characters appear. In preparing the plates the entire face of each may be printed and thereafter the central portions etched out or partially etched away by vignette method to produce a fading elect from the outer portions of the plates toward the center. The design is applied to the back of the front plate and to the back face of the rear plate.

I prefer to develop the photographic plates after they have been printed by depositing and gently rubbing thereover metallic pigment such as bronze, silver or other minute metal particles in finely divided or pulverized state. Such particles adhere to the dots defining the highly translucent background elements, although it will, of course, be understood that if vdesired various pictorial designs may be printed on the plates from a prepared negative as well as from a prepared y than on the front plate.

positive.

As shown, the two plates 'I and 8 have identical half-tone designs formed on the rear faces thereof, although it will, of course, be understood that a wide variety of designs, pictorial or otherwise, may be utilized in many cases, a somewhat diierent design being formed on the rear plate In the embodiment shown the two plates are spaced a slight distance apart by suitable spacing strips 9. As shown,.the design dots X of the two plates are substantially aligned perpendicularly of the faces of the plates. A wide variety of different design effects may be obtained by varying the spaced relationship or spacing the plates in slightly non-parallel relationship. It will also be understood that in lieu of the photographically produced designs on the plates themselves, photographic films or translucent sheets having various designs formed thereon may be substituted and secured to the back faces of the plates 'I and 8.

As shown, the plates in spaced relationship are mounted in an ornamental metallic frame I0 which is detachably mounted in the sign frame and which has the base I I and the two upstanding ornamental supports I2. A reector casing I3 is secured to base I I and is provided with ventilating louvers I3a in the rear thereof. An electric lamp bracket and socket III is secured to the bottom I3b of the reector casing, having mounted therein a conventional electric lamp or bulb I5 An electrical service cord I6 having the conventional plug ISa extends through casing I3 and has the wires thereof electrically connected with the lamp socket in conventional manner.

When my sign constructed as herein described is viewed from a positiondirectly infront of the display panel, the entire panel is illuminated by the light, the advertising material stands out most prominently, and a background design of relatively large dots appears. The dots are greatly magnified by the refractive properties of the glass and the spacing of thel two plates withl the design surfaces some distance apart and with the dots or elements of the designs preferably slightly out of alignment. If the observer changes his position very slightly, the background dot design appears to move and the dots appear in different shapes, sometimes square and sometimes in curved arrangement, depending upon the point of observation. The size of the elements of the design changes considerably through different positions of observation. Thus, with my structure a pleasing animation is obtained attracting the attention of an observer to the apparently moving background and, of course, the prominent advertising which appears on the panel.

AIt will, of course, be apparent that by mechanically producing a slight relative movement of the plates 1 and 8, marked animated effects may be obtained.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a somewhat different form of the invention embodying, however, the

plates 'I and 3 constructed and arranged as in the form of the invention lrst described. The frame casing and general structure of the sign is similar to the form shown in Figs. l to 5, but a revoluble heat motor or flue 23 of a conventional type is provided within the casing I3 and surrounds the electric lamp. Flue 2t is mounted for pivotal movement around the lamp i5 and carries at its upper end a series of twisted, substantially radial vanes which cause the flue tol revolve from the stack action produced by the heat from the lamp. A pair of transparent panels 2| are formed in the flue 2D extending longitudinally thereof. In this form of the invention, during the revolution of the flue 2t, light is directed from a variety of different reflecting surfaces of the cas-ing I3, this direction of lightl producing a wide variety of animated effects on the background portion of the panel. In this form of the invention an observer without shifting his position of sight, views a widely varied movement of background design elements.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a simple but highly eicient method of obtaining animated effects by the combination of two or more designs. It will further be seen that I have provided a novel, comparatively inexpensive and highly effective display device or sign providing a wide variety of animated effects.

It will be understood that with pictorial designs on the rear faces of the plates of my device, moving eects of the pictured objects, faces, etc, can be obtained.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is: A

1. A display device having in combination a pair of transparent sheets each having on one face thereof a photographically produced design,

said designs being substantially similar and each.

consisting in a multiplicity of metallic translucent spots and a multiplicity of relatively transparent spots, means for mounting said sheetsone behind the other with the corresponding and respective spots of said designs substantially aligned but spaced apart, and means for passing light through said design-carrying sheets.

2. A display device having in combination a transparent display panel having spaced designbearing surfaces included therein, substantially similar designs on said surfaces, said designs consisting in a multiplicity of dimly translucent spots and a multiplicity of highly translucent spots, the said spots of the designs of the said two surfaces corresponding and being positioned one behind the other in approximate alinement and means for passing light through said panel toward the observer, the construction of said designs, approximate alinement of said correspond ing design spots and spacing thereof causing an' CARLTON T. BERG. 

